1 For definition, see Appendix II.

Source: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in the United States, annual.

http://WWW.fbi.GOV/ucr/ucr.htm

****************************************************************************************Uniform Crime Reports

The FBIs UCR Program, which began in 1929, collectsinformation on the following crimes reported to law enforcementauthorities: homicide, forcible rape, robbery, aggravatedassault, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.Arrests are reported for 21 additional crime categories.The UCR data are compiled from monthly law enforcementreports or individual crime incident records transmitted directlyto the FBI or to centralized state agencies that then report tothe FBI. Each report submitted to the UCR Program is examinedthoroughly for reasonableness, accuracy, and deviationsthat may indicate errors. Large variations in crime levels mayindicate modified records procedures, incomplete reporting, orchanges in a jurisdictions boundaries. To identify any unusualfluctuations in an agencys crime counts, monthly reports arecompared with previous submissions of the agency and withthose for similar agencies.

In 1995, law enforcement agencies active in the UCRProgram represented approximately 251 million United Statesinhabitants95 percent of the U.S. population.The UCR Program provides crime counts for the Nation asa whole, as well as for regions, states, counties, cities, and towns.This permits studies among neighboring jurisdictions andamong those with similar populations and other common characteristics.UCR findings for each calendar year are published in apreliminary release in the spring, followed by a detailed annualreport, Crime in the United States, issued in the followingcalendar year. In addition to crime counts and trends, this reportincludes data on crimes cleared, persons arrested (age, sex,and race), law enforcement personnel (including the numberof sworn officers killed or assaulted), and the characteristics ofhomicides (including age, sex, and race of victims and offenders,victim-offender relationships, weapons used, and circum-stancessurrounding the homicides). Other special reports arealso available from the UCR Program.

*The Crime Index

The following offenses and attempts to commit these offenses are used in compiling the Crime Index: (1) murder andnonnegligent manslaughter, (2) forcible rape, (3) robbery, (4) aggravated assault, (5) burglary, (6) larceny-theft, (7) motorvehicle theft, and (8) arson. Arson was added as the eighth index offense in October 1978. (Manslaughter by negligence andsimple or minor assaults are not included in the Crime Index.)

Criminal homicide-- a. Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter: the willful (nonnegligent) killing of one human being byanother. Deaths caused by negligence, attempts to kill, assaults to kill, suicides, accidental deaths, and justifiable homicides areexcluded. Justifiable homicides are limited to: (1) the killing of a felon by a law enforcement officer in the line of duty and (2)the killing of a felon by a private citizen. b. Manslaughter by negligence: the killing of another person through gross negligence.Traffic fatalities are excluded. While manslaughter by negligence is a Part I crime, it is not included in the Crime Index.

Forcible rape--The carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will. Included are rapes by force and attempts orassaults to rape. Statutory offenses (no force used--victim under age of consent) are excluded.

Robbery--The taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons byforce or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear.

Aggravated assault--An unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravatedbodily injury. This type of assault usually is accompanied by the use of a weapon or by means likely to produce death or greatbodily harm. Simple assaults are excluded.

Burglary--breaking or entering--The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft. Attempted forcible entry isincluded.

Larceny-theft (except motor vehicle theft)--The unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from thepossession or constructive possession of another. Examples are thefts of bicycles or automobile accessories, shoplifting,pocket-picking, or the stealing of any property or article which is not taken by force and violence or by fraud. Attemptedlarcenies are included. Embezzlement, "con" games, forgery, worthless checks, etc., are excluded.

Motor vehicle theft--The theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle. A motor vehicle is self-propelled and runs on thesurface and not on rails. Specifically excluded from this category are motorboats, construction equipment, airplanes, andfarming equipment.

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)--This includes a central city of at least 50,000 people or an urbanized area of at least50,000. The county containing the central city and other contiguous counties having strong economic and social ties to thecentral city and county also are included. Counties in an MSA are designated "suburban" for UCR purposes. An MSA maycross State lines. Due to changes in the geographic composition of MSAs, no year-to-year comparisons of data for thoseareas should be attempted. New England MSAs are comprised of cities and towns instead of counties. In this publication,New England cities and towns are assigned to the proper MSAs. Some counties, however, have both suburban and ruralportions. Data for State police and sheriffs in those jurisdictions are included in statistics for the rural areas. MSAs made upapproximately 81% of the total U.S. population in 1995.

Rural counties--Rural counties are those outside MSAs and are comprised of mostly unincorporated areas. Lawenforcement agencies in rural counties cover areas that are not under the jurisdiction of city police departments. Rural countylaw enforcement agencies served 11% of the national population in 1995.

Suburban areas--These areas consist of cities with populations of less than 50,000 in addition to counties (unincorporatedareas) that are within an MSA. Suburban areas can, therefore, be divided into suburban cities and suburban counties.

Other cities--Other cities are urban places outside MSAs; most of these areas are incorporated. These cities comprised 8%of the 1995 national population.

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